BIO: Jamaal Brantley was born in Charleston, South Carolina (USA)
FAMILY: Jamaal’s brother, Jarrell Brantley also played 35 games in the NBL.
Jamaal Brantley made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 29 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.
After finishing the previous season at the bottom of the ladder with a 5-23 record, New Zealand returned to playing regular home games following two seasons based in Australia. Assistant Mody Maor replaced departing head coach Dan Shamir, while Yanni Wetzell, Hugo Besson, Peyton Siva (to Illawarra), Finn Delany, Ousmane Dieng and Chasson Randle exited the team.
The Breakers added Tom Vodanovich (via Sydney), Izayah Le’Afa (via South East Melbourne), Cameron Gliddon (via South East Melbourne), Dererk Pardon, Jarrell Brantley, Barry Brown Jr and Next Star Rayan Rupert. Thomas Abercrombie suffered a torn retina during the preseason, while Jamaal Brantley (via the TBL), the older brother of Jarrell, was signed as a nominated injury replacement on September 20 as Brown Jr managed a foot injury. Brown Jr was later sidelined during the opening weeks of the regular season with hamstring tightness, creating a brief place in the rotation for Jamaal.
Brantley’s best game and regular-season debut came against Illawarra at the WIN Entertainment Centre on October 17, where he finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal in 7:20 as New Zealand defeated the Hawks 88-62. McDowell-White (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and Gliddon (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Breakers, while Tyler Harvey (12 points and 2 steals) was Illawarra’s leading scorer. When Brantley entered the game alongside Jarrell, they became the first pair of imports who were brothers to play together in an NBL game.
Brantley (1 point and 1.5 rebounds across 2 games) provided additional frontcourt depth during Brown Jr’s absence, playing 10:54 across his two appearances.
Last night the Brantley bros became the first
pair of import siblings to take the floor in a NBL game
together!! 👊#UNBREAKABLE pic.twitter.com/zHbIjlu5Rd— Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) October 18, 2022
His second and final appearance came against South East Melbourne at the Trusts Arena on October 20, where Jamaal Brantley (0 points) played 3:34 as Jarrell Brantley (17 points and 4 rebounds) and Pardon (16 points and 5 rebounds) led New Zealand, while Kyle Adnam (17 points) helped the Phoenix win 99-77.
New Zealand went on to finish second with an 18-10 record and advanced to its first Championship Series since 2016, where Sydney won the series in five games. Brown Jr returned against Cairns on October 23 and Jamaal did not appear again.
Jamaal Brantley played one season in the NBL. He averaged 1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0 assists in 2 NBL games.
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 29 | New Zealand | 18-10 (2) | 2 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 33% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 33% | 0% | 2 | Totals | 2 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 33.3% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 2 |
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 29 | New Zealand | 18-10 (2) | 2 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 33% | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 33% | 0% | 2 | Total | 2 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 33.3% | 0.2 | 0.0% | 1.0 | 0.0% | 0% | 0% | 2 |
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
Brantley joined Elan Tursan Basket Arboucave for the 2019–20 NM3 season in France, with the club roster listing him for that season.
He later joined the Franklin Bulls for the 2023 New Zealand NBL season in New Zealand and averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks across 20 league games.
Brantley remained with the Franklin Bulls for the 2024 New Zealand NBL season, where he played nine games and averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks, while league coverage noted he had been a Defensive Player of the Year nominee the previous season.
He moved to Sampaense Basket for the 2023–24 Portuguese Proliga season in Portugal and produced 19.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks over 17 games.
Brantley joined Neftci IK Baku for the 2024–25 Azerbaijani ABL season in Azerbaijan, where he averaged 8.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 11 games.
He would stayed in Azerbaijan for the 2025–26 season, switching teams to play with Nakhchivan.
Jamaal Brantley began his college career in the junior college ranks, first transferring from Atlanta Metro CC before starring at Volunteer State Community College, where he averaged 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
During his season at Volunteer State, Brantley finished fifth in scoring, third in rebounding, fifth in blocked shots, and tenth in assists across the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association, earning first-team All-Region VII honours and establishing himself as a high-level two-way forward.
Brantley transferred to Cameron University for the 2014–15 season and made an immediate impact in his debut, recording eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal against St. Gregory’s.
Throughout the 2014–15 campaign, he delivered multiple standout performances, including a season-high 15 points against Northwestern Oklahoma State, 21 points and five rebounds at Drury, and a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds against Dallas Christian.
He continued his strong junior season with 18 points and five rebounds against Eastern New Mexico, 13 points at West Texas A&M, and several efficient scoring nights before closing the year with one of his best all-around games, posting 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists against Midwestern State while logging a career-high 42 minutes.
Brantley elevated his production further during his senior season in 2015–16, opening the year with consistent contributions in exhibition play before leading Cameron with 21 points and 12 rebounds against Newman and following it with 18 points and eight rebounds in a win over Oklahoma Christian on consecutive nights.
As the season progressed, he delivered a series of high-impact performances, including 19 points against Truman State, 18 points and six rebounds versus Bacone, 17 points and nine rebounds against Southwestern Adventist, and a dominant 25-point, 10-rebound effort in a win over West Texas A&M.
Conference play featured some of Brantley’s strongest outings, highlighted by a team-high 27 points against Eastern New Mexico, another 27-point performance against Texas A&M–Kingsville, 20 points and seven rebounds against Angelo State, and multiple double-digit rebounding games during Cameron’s comeback victories.
He closed the 2015–16 season with continued production, including 19 points and 13 rebounds against Midwestern State, reinforcing his role as Cameron’s primary interior scorer and defensive presence.
Across his Cameron career, Brantley recorded career highs of 25 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and three steals, with his sustained senior-year production earning him First Team All–Lone Star Conference honours.
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